Among the wonderful collections highlighting our March Baltimore sale is an incredible selection of patterns that comprise the Samuel J. Berngard Collection. Mr. Berngard is a passionate collector who over the years has assembled several impressive collections that we have offered at auction (the most famous of which was his territorial gold collection sold in July 2008 just prior to the ANA convention in Baltimore). After the sale of his territorial gold coins, he decided to collect pattern coins; the rarity and the diverse nature of the designs enticed his numismatic senses. His collection of patterns focuses on Rarity-7 and Rarity-8 varieties and the rare and beautiful pattern half dollars of 1877. While the majority of the coins are from the 1870s, the collection ranges in date from 1838 to the 1960s. Many of the coins will be offered in our first ever Baltimore Rarities Night, with the rest of the coins offered in the main sale catalogue. Coins in this collection are pedigreed to some of the most famous pattern collections offered in recent memory: Simpson, Bass, and Queller/Lemus. All of us at Stack’s Bowers are very proud to have been selected by Mr. Berngard to offer his wonderful pattern collection to the collecting public. If pattern coins are an area of interest for you, another collection of patterns like this is unlikely to be offered anytime soon. The catalogue will be mailed in early March; when you receive it, study the descriptions and plan to participate — whether in person, online, or an appointment for a phone bid.
